Semi-submersed floating striking exercise device

ABSTRACT

A semi-submersed floating striking exercise device with a striking portion to be filled with water, a floatation portion at least partially above the striking portion, the floatation portion to be filled with air and an above-the-water portion to be filled with air, the above-the-water portion positioned above the floatation portion. The striking exercise device also includes at least one of a handle and/or an attachment device, at least one air inlet for inflating the floatation portion and the above-the-water portion, and a water inlet for filling the striking portion with water. The striking exercise device optionally includes a tether with a first end and a second end, and a tether harness to be worn on a user, wherein the first end of the tether is attachable to the semi-submersed floating striking exercise device and the second end of the tether is attachable to the tether harness.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related generally to exercise equipment and specifically to boxing, kick boxing, and all striking martial arts semi-submersed floating striking exercise device, and more particularly a semi-submersed floating striking exercise device

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Punching bags are commonly used for fitness training or competitive training for striking exercises related to boxing, kick boxing and the different varieties of martial arts. Typically punching bags are hung from the ceiling or stationary to the floor with a base and are usually filled with stuffing material and have an outer material covering. The current conventional punching bags are very limited in movement and feel. Conventional punching bags do not allow for a recoil resistance when executing punching and kicking techniques, which is one of the most essential part of striking and balance. Nor do conventional punching bags allow for a recoil resistance when executing bunching and kicking techniques as they are used for above-water training which only allows one to work against gravity. Further, conventional bags do not provide the realistic movement of having an opponent, since they are typically hung from the ceiling or stationary to the floor and do not move relative to the user. Also, conventional bags do not provide low-impact options for striking training.

Others have attempted to correct some of the limitations associated with current conventional punching bags. For example, punching bags have been made that are filled with varied materials like water and other soft textiles, in an attempt to provide a more realistic movement and feel of having an opponent and lower impact for striking. Striking equipment have been made in various forms in attempts to stimulate the look and or feel of having an opponent. However, none of the foregoing conventional punching bags stimulate movement and resistance that would reflect a martial arts opponent, while providing low-impact training, and which “follow” a user. For examples, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,412 to Wolfe, U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,443 to Kuo, U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,191 to DeSousa, U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,831 to Henry, U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,980 to Babineaux, U.S. Pat. No. 9,469,38, to Pajonk-Taylor and Rivera, U.S. Pat. No. 2007/0099772 to Fu et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,298 to Fields et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,157 to Wilkinson, U.S. Pat. Publication No. 2011/0223826 to Gibson. U.S. Pat. Publication No. 2014/0031180 to Jones, U.S. Pat. Publication No. 2017/0209761 to Magrino et al., and German Pat. No. DE 29502733 to Moellmann.

Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a boxing and martial arts striking bag providing a more realistic movement and feel of having an opponent. It would also be advantageous to provide a striking bag that improves the recoil (snap) of punches and kicks associated with striking training. It would further be advantageous if such martial arts striking bag could be used underwater to provide low-impact striking training while providing the benefits of water resistance which provides resistance from all directions as opposed to above-water training which only allows one to work against gravity. It would be further beneficial if the boxing and martial arts striking bag where to maintain a desired distant away from the user. If would likewise be beneficial if the boxing and martial arts striking bag was constructed to partial float with a portion above the water and a portion below the water and without requiring the addition of any ballast material (e.g., sand, metal, etc.) other than water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a striking device that provides underwater and above water training for boxing, kick-boxing, martial arts and fitness. The present invention provides a water, and air filled punching bag with a tether that provides a unique versatile approach to improve striking techniques while providing low-impact training. In one embodiment, water along is used as the ballast material.

A principal objective of the present invention is to provide a striking device that offers a variety of environments to improve the recoil (the punch and snap back to position), which is one of the most important aspects of striking. The present invention is for use underwater to provide the resistance of the water, causing the trainees movements to slow down to focus on form, balance and power. It is known that water provides a resistance which is equivalent to the effort exerted against it, resulting in the water serving as an instantly-adjustable weight-training device. It is also known that water provides resistance to the movement in all directions. The main structure of the present invention is filled with water which provides another form of resistance when the impact of the strike hits the structure. Therefore, the present invention combines the resistance of the water while executing strikes (going forward) and the resistance of the water-filled structure when landing the strike (going backward). Furthermore, the present invention provides two elements of resistance which help improve the recoil (snap) aspects of striking.

A further objective is to a provide a striking device that focuses on improving footwork, distance and balance associated with striking training. The bounce back effect of the air-filled and water-filled portions of the structure provide different bounce back effects, causing the trainee to work on fighting for balance while focusing on footwork and maintaining proper distance of an opponent.

A further objective of the present invention is to provide a realistic feel of having a moving opponent, and which has a tether which connects the striking device to user a distance, much as an “opponent” will “follow” the user, which unlike prior striking devices, keeps the “opponent” at a desired striking distance.

A further objective of the present invention is to provide a striking device that does not need ballast material other than water.

A yet further objective of the present invention is to provide multiple feels to striking training. The present invention provides striking surfaces that are water filled, air filled, underwater and out of water.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a striking bag that offers low-impact training with the benefits of in-water training, which is known to provide an anti-stress environment for movement and aids in a faster recovery process.

These and other features of the invention are described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objectives and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent on examination of the following description including the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view illustrating an “in use” display according to an embodiment of the semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of the invention tethered to a user in a first boxing position.

FIG. 2 is another diagrammatic side view illustrating the semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of FIG. 1 tethered to the user but in a second boxing position and with the tether lengthened.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a top right perspective view of the semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a top right perspective view of the semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of FIG. 6 connected to air pumps for inflation.

FIG. 8 is a bottom right perspective view of the semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a bottom right perspective view of the semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of FIG. 1 but connected to a water hose for filling the water filled portions of the device.

FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating another exemplary embodiment of a semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a top right perspective view of the semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a bottom right perspective view of the semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of FIG. 6.

FIG. 13 is a top right perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there are shown perspective “in use” view of an exemplary embodiment of the semi-submerged striking device 10 and tether 12 connected to a user “U”. The semi-submerged striking device 10, comprises a below the water striking bag portion 14, a flotation portion 16 and an above-the-water portion 18 that rises above the flotation portion 16. The flotation portion 16 preferably has one or more handles 20 and also one or more tether attachment points 22, e.g., in the form of small loops or a D-ring. The striking bag portion 14 has a bottom 24, and an above-the-water portion 18 has a top 26. Extending from the bottom 24 are preferably one or more attachments 28, for example, D-rings. The tether 12 connects at one end to the semi-submerged striking device 10, e.g., at one of the tether attachment points 22, and at another end to a retention strap/body harness 30 which is worn by the user U, for example around his or her chest. The tether 12 is preferably made of flexible cord or strap material and if desired may be stretchable. The tether 12 is preferably detachably attached to semi-submerged striking device 10 and/or to the retention strap/body harness 30. The semi-submerged striking device 10 is designed to be partially submerged in water W allowing the user U, to practice boxing, kick-boxing, martial arts and fitness with the benefits of under and above water movements, with the user U standing on the bottom B of the body of water, e.g. pool. As can be seen when the user U ducks down in the pool the tether 12 will pull the semi-submerged striking device 10 towards him to maintain a fairly consistent distant, much as an “opponent” may be expected to follow and “dance around” a fighter during a fight, and in cases where the tether 12 is elastic, allows some give but prevents the semi-submerged striking device 10 from bouncing away from the user U when it receives strikes. In FIG. 1, the user U is shown punching the above-the-water portion 18, which as will be described further below, is filled with air. In FIG. 2, the user U is shown crouched down in the water and punching the water striking bag portion 14. These different positions will result in different feedback and sensations to the user U.

With reference to FIG. 3, the various features of the are further shown, and comprises a below the water striking bag portion 14 which is preferably filled with water, a flotation portion 16 which can be in the form of an air inflatable ring, and an above-the-water portion 18 that rises above the flotation portion 16 and is also preferably filled with air, or at can be partially filled with air and some water to establish desired floatation and stability of the semi-submerged striking device 10. The flotation portion 16 preferably has one or more handles 20 and also one or more clipping attachment points, e.g., small loops 22. The striking bag portion 14 has a bottom 24, and above-the-water portion 18 has a top 26. Optionally extending from the bottom 24 are one or more attachments 28, the use of which is further described below. The water filled striking bag portion 14 of the semi-submerged striking device 10 is designed as the main striking surface and helps to stabilize the device 10 in the water. The flotation portion 16 filled with pressurized air is designed to provide flotation, as well as offering another striking surface. The above-the-water portion 18 provides another striking surface. The walls of the various portions of the semi-submerged striking device 10, namely the striking bag portion 14, the flotation portion 16, and the above-the-water portion 18 are preferably fabricated from PVC plastic sheet material, but other suitable materials may also be used.

With reference to FIG. 4, there is shown a top view of the semi-submerged striking device 10, including its flotation portion 16 with handles 20, preferably fabricated of nylon webbing and plastic, but other suitable materials may also be used. The handles 20 are designed to grip for transportation of the device and can be used by trainers to grip for controlled movement or stabilized training for the trainee. The tether attachment points 22 on the flotation portion 16 can be nylon webbing, nylon cording, or other materials or can be molded PVC or other plastic or rubber material. The top 26 of the above-the-water portion 18 preferably has an air filling valve/port 32, and the flotation portion 16 likewise preferably has an air filling valve/port 34, both to fill the respective portions with air.

With reference to FIG. 5, there is shown a bottom view of the semi-submerged striking device 10, which shows its handles 22 and tether attachment points 22 extending from the flotation portion 16. At the bottom 24 of the striking bag portion 14 are the optional attachments 28, and a water filling valve 40. The water filling valve 40 is designed to allow access to fill the striking bag portion 14 with water.

Turning to FIG. 6, there is shown a perspective top view of the semi-submerged striking device 10 that shows the top 26 of the above-the-water portion 18 with the air filling valve/port 32 and the flotation portion 16 fitted with the air filling valve/port 34. FIG. 7 is the same view, but with air pumps 50A and 50B and their hoses 52A and 52B, connected respectively to the air filling valve/port 32 and the air filling valve/port 34 to inflate the above-the-water portion 18 and the flotation portion 16, respectively.

With reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, there are shown two perspective bottom view of the semi-submerged floating striking device 10, with a water hose 60 shown in FIG. 9 being used to fill the striking bag portion 14 at the water filling valve 40 with water. The striking bag portion 14 can also be filled be opening the water filling valve and submerging the striking bag portion 14 in water to allow it to enter and fill the striking bag portion 14. The optional attachments 28, e.g., two D-rings, are available as a location to tie ropes, straps, etc. to external anchor weights for optional stationary use or otherwise tie the semi-submerged floating striking device 10 down.

To ready the semi-submerged striking device 10 for use, the above-the-water portion 18 and the flotation portion 16 are both filled with air, for example as shown in FIG. 7, and the striking portion 14 is filled with water, as shown in FIG. 14. The user will then, transport the device by the handles 20 and place the device in the water. The weight of the water in the striking portion 14 will cause the device 10 to drop into the water.

The semi-submerged striking device 10 will provide many advantages over conventional striking devices and is particularly well adapted to the boxing, kickboxing and martial arts practitioners. The semi-submerged striking device 10 will also be useful in the general fitness world. For example, since the semi-submerged striking device 10 is partially submerged in water with the stabilization and floatation of the portions 16 and 18 filled with air, this allows the device 10 to move in response to strikes forcing the user to focus on footwork, distance and balance as if they were training with an opponent, therefore, particularly well adapted for boxing, kickboxing and all martial arts striking training. It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that the movement of the device 10 with its water filled portion 14 and air filled portions 16 and 18 will provide a natural movement and resistance of the water that stimulate movement similar to training with an opponent.

The retention strap/body harness 30 worn by user U connected to the semi-submerged striking device 10 by the tether 12 preferably allows distance adjustment to accommodate each user preference, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The retention strap/body harness 30 and tether 12 are designed to keep the user U in a desired range of the semi-submerged striking device 10, avoiding the water causing separation of the user U and semi-submerged striking device 10.

As previously noted, the attachments 28 located on the bottom 24 of the semi-submerged striking device 10 provide a location to fasten the device 10 to tie ropes, and/or external anchor weights for optional stationary use. Stationary use of the semi-submerged striking device 10 would be appreciated by those who are not skilled in the art and familiar with footwork associated with boxing and martial arts.

Turning to FIG. 10, there is shown a top perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a semi-submerged striking device 100 of the invention. FIG. 11 is a side view and FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of the semi-submerged striking device 100. This embodiment very similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-9 and has a below the water striking bag portion 114, a flotation portion 116 and an above-the-water portion 118 that rises above the flotation portion 116. The flotation portion 116 preferably has one or more handles 120 and also one or more tether attachment points 122, e.g., in the form of small loops or a D-ring. The striking bag portion 114 has a bottom 124, and an above-the-water portion 118 has a top 126. Extending from the bottom 124 are preferably one or more attachments 28, for example, D-rings. The top 126 of the above-the-water portion 118 has an air filling valve/port 132, and the flotation portion 116 likewise preferably has an air filling valve/port 134, both to fill the respective portions with air. At the bottom 124 of the striking bag portion 114 are the optional attachments 128, and a water filling valve 140. The water filling valve 140 is designed to allow access to fill the striking bag portion 114 with water. However, in the semi-submerged striking device 100, in addition to using water contained in the water striking bag portion 14 for ballast, it contains additional, denser ballast body 150, for example a metal plate ring, a concrete ring, or a sand ring reservoir that will be filled with sand, metal shot, or other heavier than water material. The denser ballast body 150 and optionally be contained in the bottom of the striking bag portion 114.

FIG. 13 a top right perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a semi-submersed floating striking exercise device 200 of the invention. It has a lower striking portion 214. In this embodiment, its flotation portion 216A is pneumatically interconnected to the above-to-water portion 216B and together can have a bowler hat or stovepipe hat-like shape. Both portions 216A and 216B are filled with air via an air valve 234. The flotation portion 216A has handles 220 and tether attachment points 222. It is also possible that the size of the above-the-water portion 18 can be reduced so that it does not extend above the floatation portion 16.

In conclusion of the detailed description is should be noted that it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations and modifications can be made to the preferred embodiment without substantially straying from the objectives of the present invention. Also, such variations and modifications are intended to be included herein within the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims. Further, in the claims hereafter, the structures, materials, acts and equivalents of all means or step-plus function elements are intended to include any structure, materials, or acts for performing their cited functions.

The present invention has been described in sufficient detail with a certain degree of particularity. The utilities thereof are appreciated by those skilled in the art. It is understood to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure of embodiments has been made by way of examples only and that numerous changes in the arrangement and combination of parts may be made without straying from the intentions and scope of the present invention as claimed. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the forgoing description of embodiments. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A semi-submersed floating striking exercise device; comprising: a striking portion to be filled with water; a floatation portion at least partially above the striking portion, the floatation portion to be filled with air; an above-the-water portion to be filled with air, the above-the-water portion positioned above the floatation portion; at least one of a handle and/or an attachment device; at least one air inlet for inflating the floatation portion and the above-the-water portion; and a water inlet for filling the striking portion with water.
 2. The semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of claim 1, wherein each of the floatation portion and the above-the-water portion have one air inlet.
 3. The semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a handle and/or attachment device being positioned on the flotation portion.
 4. The semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of claim 1, further comprising at least one attachment on a bottom of the striking portion to function as an anchor point or rope attachment point.
 5. The semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of claim 1, further comprising a tether with a first end and a second end, and a tether harness to be worn on a user, the first end of the tether being attachable to the semi-submersed floating striking exercise device and the second end of the tether being attachable to the tether harness.
 6. The semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of claim 5, wherein the tether is length adjustable and/or is made of elastic material.
 7. The semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of claim 1, further comprising a heavier-than-water ballast portion, which heavier-than-water ballast portion is position near a bottom of the striking portion.
 8. A semi-submersed floating striking exercise device; comprising: a striking portion to be filled with water; a floatation portion at least partially above the striking portion, the floatation portion to be filled with air; at least one of a handle and/or an attachment device; at least one air inlet for inflating the floatation portion; and a water inlet for filling the striking portion with water.
 9. The semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of claim 8, further comprising a tether with a first end and a second end, and a tether harness to be worn on a user, the first end of the tether being attachable to the semi-submersed floating striking exercise device and the second end of the tether being attachable to the tether harness.
 10. The semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of claim 8, wherein the at least one of a handle and/or attachment device being positioned on the flotation portion.
 11. The semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of claim 8, further comprising at least one attachment on a bottom of the striking portion to function as an anchor point or rope attachment point.
 12. The semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of claim 8, further comprising an above-the-water portion to be filled with air positioned above the floatation portion
 13. The semi-submersed floating striking exercise device of claim 8, further comprising a heavier-than-water ballast portion, which heavier-than-water ballast portion is positioned near a bottom of the striking portion. 